


unglorified hero

by peterpiperparker



Series: Whumptober 2020!! [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Gen, Not Beta Read, Stephanie Brown is Robin, We Die Like Men, Whumptober 2020, concussion, let bruce be a good batman and mentor to steph brown, mention of vomit but not like graphic at all, she deserves it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:01:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26927020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peterpiperparker/pseuds/peterpiperparker
Summary: steph's first concussion as robin isn't exactly what she expected when she took on the cape, but it's not all bad all things considered
Relationships: Stephanie Brown & Bruce Wayne
Series: Whumptober 2020!! [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951255
Comments: 6
Kudos: 63
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	unglorified hero

**Author's Note:**

> whumptober 2020 day 2: concussion
> 
> i won't mention this being like 8 days late if you won't
> 
> (this also covers a found family bingo square for concussion!)

Steph groans with the next heave of her stomach, barely feeling Bruce’s hand on her back. She rests her forehead on the cool porcelain of the toilet seat, squeezing her eyes shut and praying for the throbbing of her head to just _stop._

Bruce must notice something tense in her body because suddenly darkness floods the bathroom and she slowly opens her eyes. Not feeling immediate blindness aside from the dim lighting in the room, Steph sighs and relaxes minutely. 

Sure, her head feels seconds away from exploding, but at least her eyes aren’t burning.

Bruce settles on the tiled floor more comfortably next to her, adjusting his grip on her hair so it’s looser and less constricting for her neck. Steph rolls her head to look up at him. “Good way to end a night of patrol, huh?” She winces at the hoarseness of her voice.

He grimaces, tilting his head. “I’ve seen worse,” he admits, “but this isn’t the best way either.”

Steph tries for a smile, but it probably better mirrors Bruce’s grimace. “I guess being a hero isn’t all glory,” she gripes.

Bruce smiles dryly. “No, this is the less glorified part of being a hero,” he agrees.

Trying to ignore the throbbing of her head in time of her heartbeat, Steph lifts her head from the seat’s rim. She regrets this almost immediately when a double wave of nausea and dizziness hit her.

Bruce is quick to put his hands on her shoulders and ground her, his hand entangling in her hair as he does so. Steph rests a palm against her head and waits for the room to stop spinning like the toilet flushing. 

When she finally feels back on the floor of the bathroom, stable, she grabs a hold of Bruce’s forearm. “Okay. Okay, I think I’m—” She cuts herself off to rush back to the toilet. 

Bruce keeps rubbing her back, muttering how well she’s handling this and that it’s going to be okay.

Steph comes back up, flushing the toilet for the nth time, and says, “Okay, _now_ I think I’m done.” 

Nodding, Bruce carefully removes his hand from her messy hair and stands up before helping her up. He supports her weight as they step out of the bathroom, quickly shutting off the hall light on his way. “Do you want to go to your guest room or do you want us to take you home?”

He waits patiently as Steph slowly thinks through her answer.

“I…” She feels the words around her mouth, considering how to string together a coherent thought when she can’t even really hold onto much thoughts in the first place. “I think here?”

Bruce wordlessly guides her to the guest room that’s become more of a bedroom with Steph’s name on it in all ways but technically. Not turning the light on, he moves her away from the stray textbooks and birdarangs strewn about the floor. Gently pushing her onto the bed, he pulls the comforter over Steph’s clammy body.

He starts to turn away, but Steph grasps his wrist to stop him. “Bruce, um. Do you think you could, um, stay?” She tries to hide the fear in her voice, but she sounds small and scared to her own ears anyway. “I’ve never…” 

Bruce sits on the edge of the bed. “Had a concussion?” he finishes for her softly.

Steph shrugs in an attempt to be nonchalant. “I had a small one in middle school, but nothing like this,” she says. “Getting hit in the head with a volleyball doesn’t really prepare you for getting hit in the head with a baseball bat at full force.” She stops talking, feeling silly and stupid and if she can’t handle this then how can she handle being Robin? Tim was wrong, he shouldn’t have given her the tights, she can’t do this—

“My first big concussion was scary, too,” Bruce says abruptly, clearing her train of thought effortlessly.

Her eyes widen slightly, but then close in pain. Okay, can’t open eyes too wide, _noted._ “Really? I mean, not like I’m scared or anything,” she assures him. “Just, y’know, I don’t want you to work yourself to death down in that lonely cave.”

Bruce nods earnestly, fighting a smile. “Of course you’re not scared. You’re Batman’s brave Robin.”

Steph smiles a small smile. “Hell yeah, I am.”

“Watch your language, young lady,” Bruce reprimands lightly, knocking her side with his knuckles. “You should sleep, Stephanie.”

Yawning, she shakes her head. “I don’ wanna.”

“I’ll stay right here the whole time. I won’t go work myself to death tonight, I can postpone it until next week.” Bruce moves to lean his back against the footboard at the end of the bed.

Steph looks at him for a moment, wishing she could see inside his head—not for the first time since she met the Big Bad Bat. Then, slowly, she nods, laying more comfortably against her pillows. “Okay.”

Bruce nods back, smiling softly. “Okay. Good night, Steph.”

“G’night, Bruce,” she replies, and she’s asleep within minutes.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you liked it! it's a bit short, so sorry for that, but i had a nice time writing it. feel free to leave a comment and kudos or bug me on my personal tumblr! i love talking to people so like. please bug me.


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